Newburyport Vote on 3 Major Building Projects

Election Day Tomorrow was written by Newburyport News on June 4th, 2012 and provides details on Newburyport Vote on 3 Major Building Projects.

Excerpt of “Election Day Tomorrow”

NEWBURYPORT

Newburyport voters head to the polls tomorrow to decide the fate of three major building projects replacing the Bresnahan Elementary School, renovating the 30-year-old Nock Middle/Molin School building and building a new senior/community center.

How residents vote on the three-question ballot will have big ramifications for the city, especially with regard to the two school projects, which represent roughly $30 million of state funding that would dry up should the community turn it down. If all three projects pass, homeowners will be assessed a tax increase of about $328 for the average price home to start, with the number decreasing over the life of the loan.

That’s a small price to pay, said Meghan Kinsey, for a segment of the population she feels are the most worthy of our “time, talent and treasure.” As the lead organizer of the grass-roots “Port Pride” campaign set up last August to push for the projects, Kinsey is feeling a case of the jitters on the eve of tomorrow’s vote. But after months of campaigning, Kinsey accepts that at this point, people know which way they’re going to vote. “I feel that we’ve done everything in our power to make sure that the voters understand the dire need that our schools are in,” said Kinsey.

Still, bright yellow “No” signs that adorn a row of homes on Low Street and some abutting homes in the Bresnahan neighborhood and beyond indicate not everyone is convinced. Carol Blackburn of Norman Avenue, who is a lead organizer of the “Bresnahan Group,” said there is still opposition to the projects throughout the city, even if they declined to pitch signs atop their lawns declaring their stance. Aside from those in her neighborhood, who oppose the new model school project out of concern for taxes but also increased traffic and unwanted changes to their quiet, residential area, she said she’s met with many who are concerned about the tax increase.

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